calsfoundation@cals.org
November 3, 2010
Dardanelle, the seat of Yell County, was incorporated in 1855. The town, shown here in the 1950s, became one of the rapidly growing settlements along the Arkansas River. The source of the name is in dispute: quite possibly, the land reminded early explorers of the Dardanelles in Turkey, or perhaps it was named after the holder of a Spanish land grant in the area, Jean Baptiste Dardenne.